Step back to the dawn of the 1960s an era of rock n roll, classic pop, timeless ballads and the explosion of soul. NOW Yearbook Presents The 60s Volume 1: 19601962 features 87 unforgettable tracks across 4 CDs, presented in deluxe hardback book packaging with a 28-page booklet including a look back at the early 60s and a detailed track-by-track guide.

CD1 kicks off in style with The Everly Brothers and their 7-week chart-topper Cathys Clown ahead of two more true legends, Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley. Cliff, along with The Shadows on The Young Ones from 1962, and Elvis with his fifth #1 Its Now Or Never from 1960. Evergreen pop gems from Bobby Darin, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Chris Montez are up next along with floor-fillers 1962-style from Little Eva with The Locomotion and Chubby Checker with Lets Twist Again both reaching #2. Rock n Roll influenced hits from Dion, Del Shannon and Susan Maughan lead into the 1961 #1 Walkin Back To Happiness from Helen Shapiro and then to a run of jukebox gold from Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Billy Fury, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, Bruce Channel and the US #1 Duke Of Earl from Gene Chandler. Brian Hylands #3 Sealed With A Kiss comes ahead of a trio of superb ballads closing the first disc: Roy Orbisons chart debut and #1 Only The Lonely, Bobby Vee with More Than I Can Say and the timeless and beautiful True Love Ways from Buddy Holly.

Disc 2 opens with a stellar run of early 60s soul classics; Stand By Me by Ben E. King which finally became a UK #1 26 years after its original chart run, Dionne Warwick made her debut with the sophisticated Dont Make Me Over and The Drifters hit #2 with Save The Last Dance For Me, along with US chart-topper Please Mr Postman from The Marvelettes, and The Crystals with Hes A Rebel. Pop nuggets from Shelley Fabares, Connie Francis and Brenda Lee lead to #1s from The Shadows and Frank Ifield. Easy-listening gems are up next from Bobby Vinton, Matt Monro, and the classic instrumental Theme From A Summer Place from Percy Faith & His Orchestra and the #1 Moon River (from Breakfast At Tiffanys) by Danny Williams. Closing the disc are enduringly popular jazz-infused singles from Dinah Washington with Mad About The Boy and At Last from Etta James.

The third disc dances into life with second appearances on this collection from Chubby Checker (celebrating the craze The Twist), Dion and Bobby Vee. Eddie Cochran hit the top with Three Steps To Heaven in June 1960, and a month later Cliff Richard & The Shadows did the same with Please Dont Tease whilst a month after that Shakin All Over from Johnny Kidd & The Pirates also reached the summit. Next up, more rock n roll and doo-wop #1s from The Marcels and Emile Ford & The Checkmates, plus #1 pop smashes from Ricky Valance and another from Elvis Presley. Top 5 hits from Connie Francis, Clarence Frogman Henry, Karl Denver, Jimmy Jones and Joe Brown & The Bruvvers lead into a run of #1s that close this disc: Adam Faith with Poor Me from 1960, Mike Sarne with Come Outside featuring guest vocals from Are You Being Served/Eastenders actress Wendy Richard, #1 in 1962 and Lonnie Donegan & His Group with the 1960 comedic chart-topper My Old Mans A Dustman. The Temperance Seven hit #1 in 1961 with their salute to 1920s jazz Youre Driving Me Crazy and to close, the instantly recognisable The Stripper by David Rose which topped the US chart in 1962.

The final disc opens with four massive instrumental hits: The Tornados became the first British group to top the US charts when Telstar repeated its UK success, and The Shadows debut hit (away from Cliff) Apache hit the top spot in 1960. Dave Brubecks Take Five remains one of the most influential and biggest selling jazz tracks ever, and the smooth Stranger On The Shore by Acker Bilk was 1962s biggest selling single in the UK and a US #1. Shirley Bassey enjoyed a #1 with Reach For The Stars, and at 14 years old Helen Shapiro became the UKs youngest ever chart-topper with You Dont Know in 1961. Stylish pop from Connie Stevens and Linda Scott feature along with another appearance from Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin and Brian Hyland. Ear-worm smashes The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) and Venus In Blue Jeans come ahead of 1960 #1 Why from Anthony Newley, and 1961 chart champs Eden Kane and Frankie Vaughan. Petula Clarks first #1 Sailor leads into a pair of truly timeless collection closers: Patsy Cline hit the US Top 10 in 1961 with Crazy, a song that would become an enduringly popular standard over the decades and to finish, a stunning ballad Cant Help Falling In Love from Elvis Presley. Making his third appearance here with his tenth UK #1, one of an incredible 9 of them that hit the top during the three-year span of this collection.

NOW Yearbook Presents – The 60s – Volume 1: 1960-1962 a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of these magical years in pop.